1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for locating individuals fallen into the sea from a boat, including visual and radio locating means.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Previously known devices for locating persons adrift in the sea are of types disclosed in the following patents:
British Pat. GB 2,082,126 (SUBMEX) discloses a survival floating device including means to detect the device and a housing with means for survival and that simulates the features of a human body floating on the water, the spotting means including an intermittent lamp and a transmitting radio;
U.S. Pat. No. 2,716,961 (MANHEIM) discloses a device to color the water, so as to enable an air rescue of a person shipwrecked, the device being made by impregnating by dying a floatable resin foam;
French Pat. No. FR 2,066,624 (DROGO) discloses a device to release, from a power supply and electrical contact means, buoys to detect shipwrecked persons including a radio transmitting device and eventually a telescopic antenna extendable by a powder cartridge;
British Pat. No. GB 1,179,521 (GALLOWAY) describes a buoy type rescue device that can indicate its position by means of an external visualization lamp, either permanently or intermittently engaged by a built-in battery;
U.S. Pat. No. 2,750,027 (CUMMINGS) discloses a device for producing a visual indication by producing a colored sheet on the sea from a block of dying material that includes a means for preventing mud from clogging in order to obtain a continuous sheet.
These prior art devices all have means that include either visual devices, or radio devices, or both, or dying devices, always located either on buoys, or on independent floats of the shipwreck, but none includes all of these means on the same support.